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In an earlier post I mentioned I was considering converting to long term rentals. I am 80% sure I will convert my 2 BR condo.
Prior to March, my summer reservation requests began. I have 5 through Airbnb for June & July.
Is there anyway to cancel those reservations, other than the guest initiating it, so I do not incur the cancellation fees and lose super-host? (I like the dedicated help number).
Didn’t you receive the e-mail that @Lynick4442 received? This might apply only if you have strict cancellation.
Go to your “Reservations” page on a computer. Those reservations should be highlighted blue and if you go to the far right of each one there is an “options” box to click and that should give you the option to cancel penalty free.
I say “should” because I hadn’t thought about this:
Maybe someone else with moderate or flexible reservations could check?
It’s odd, I’ve never used a strict cancellation before except for the 2 I have left in June, so I’m not sure.
Also, there are quite a few reports out there on the internet of Airbnb taking the refund from the host’s future transactions from these recent cancellations, which is somewhat disconcerting. You might be better off asking the guests to cancel and approving a full refund for them.
I have a moderate cancellation policy and had the email that said penalty free cancellations by the host are available until April 30 for any bookings for the rest of this year.
Thank you I misread the email from Airbnb to only cover guest cancellations.
I’m glad to know I have options.
Below is the content if the email in case you didn’t receive it.
Dear Anne,
The coronavirus continues to disrupt the travel industry, and millions of Airbnb hosts and guests are on lockdown.
We’ve been working with hosts like you to shape our ongoing response to the pandemic through over a hundred listening sessions in more than 30 countries. One thing we’ve heard is that you want advanced notice and options to engage guests directly when things change. Here’s what you need to know.
Guests may need to cancel June reservations due to COVID-19
If travel continues to be disrupted, the Extenuating Circumstances policymay cover 2 of your June reservations that were booked before March 15.
What that would mean for you
Here’s what you can do
Keep the dialogue going with guests. Some guests may need extra assurance right now—reach out to see if they have any concerns that you can address.
Cancel penalty-free by April 30. Whether you’re unable to host or you want to open your calendar for longer term stays, you can now cancel any upcoming reservations this year booked before March 15. You won’t pay a fee, have your calendar blocked, or have your Superhost status affected.
As a reminder, guests will not be refunded if they need to cancel reservations booked after March 14 due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 is the most difficult thing we’ve had to endure as a business, and we know the same is true for many of our hosts. There are no perfect answers right now, but we hope this update gives you clarity. We’ll be in touch on May 1st with an update. In the meantime, you can check Airbnb.com/COVID for realtime information.
Stay safe and stay healthy.
Airbnb, Inc.
If you are converting to LTRs, does it matter if Airbnb hand out a couple of cancellation penalties, if you aren’t going to use them again @Annet3176?
Fair question. I want to convert one of my two rentals and have the option to return it to STR in a year or two.
Because I have two listed properties, actions within one affect both. For example my superhost star score is a combination of both rentals.